Hessian State Wineries, Kloster Eberbach – Assmannshäuser Höllenberg Pinot Noir Weissherbst Beerenauslese Gold Cap Auction Wine 2005 375ml

Hessian State Wineries, Kloster Eberbach – Assmannshäuser Höllenberg Pinot Noir Weissherbst Beerenauslese 2005: A rare speciality from the Rheingau’s red wine estate

The Assmannshäuser Höllenberg Pinot Noir Weissherbst Beerenauslese 2005 from the Hessian State Wineries of Kloster Eberbach is a wine of rare historical depth – a noble sweet rarity from one of Germany’s most famous red wine vineyards, combining the centuries-old winemaking tradition of Kloster Eberbach with the unique terroir of the Assmannshäuser Höllenberg.

The Assmannshausen Estate: The Rheingau’s red wine estate

The Assmannshausen Estate is the red wine division of the Hessian State Wineries of Kloster Eberbach and is situated above the Rhine on one of the steepest slopes in the Rheingau. The estate’s vineyards are situated in the historic plots of the Höllenberg, of which the winery cultivates17 hectares. The soil consists of purple slate, which lends the Pinot Noir its unmistakable character. The vineyards lie in a valley cut away from the Rhine with a true south-facing aspect, where high temperatures prevail during the day and it remains pleasantly cool in the morning and evening hours thanks to the nearby Taunus mountains. Due to the steep slopes, individual vineyard plots are divided into terraces and supported by stone walls. Pinot Noir has been grown in Assmannshausen since at least 1507 – a tradition stretching back over 500 years.

The Assmannshäuser Höllenberg vineyard: a jewel of the Rheingau

The Assmannshäuser Höllenberg is regarded as one of Germany’s finest red wine sites and is described by connoisseurs as ‘the German Romanée-Conti’. The vineyard lies on the border between the Rheingau and the Middle Rhine and has, for at least 800 years, made a name for itself primarily through its red wines. The slopes , which are up to 65 per cent steep, consist almost entirely of purple-coloured phyllite schist. These geological conditions – steep slopes, slate soil and pronounced temperature fluctuations – lend the red wines from the Höllenberg their unmistakable character: full-bodied wines with pronounced fruit and a fine acidity structure. The vineyards are characterised by cross-terracing and historic stone walls that support the plots. The Höllenberg produces Pinot Noir with a unique and distinctive character, which, thanks to gentle fermentation and ageing in traditional oak barrels, developslegendary ageing potential.

The speciality: Pinot Noir ‘Weissherbst’ Beerenauslese

The Pinot Noir ‘Weissherbst’ Beerenauslese is a rare speciality that is unrivalled in the world of wine. The term ‘Weissherbst’ refers to a rosé wine made exclusively from red grapes – in this case Pinot Noir – whereby the must comesinto contact with the grape skins only briefly to extract the delicate pink colour. The designation ‘Beerenauslese’, in turn , denotes a noble sweet Prädikat classification, in which only fully ripe, botrytised berries are selectively harvested, lending the wine an opulent sweetness and remarkable concentration. The combination of both – a ‘Weissherbst’ at the highest quality classification level – is an absolute rarity, produced only in exceptional vintages and in microscopic quantities. Wines of this type are known as ‘Rot-Weiß Edelbeerenauslese’ and have a long tradition in the Rheingau . The legendary 1917 Höllenberg Rot-Weiß-Edelbeerenauslese – known as the ‘Kennedy wine’ – fetched a record price of 12,495 euros at auction and is considered the most expensive German Pinot Noir of all time.

The 2005 vintage: A magnificent year for sweet wines

The 2005 vintage is described by wine experts as a ‘magnificent year for sweet wines’, as the dry and sunny autumn weather created ideal conditions for the development of noble rot (Botrytis cinerea). These conditions enabled the winegrowers to produce highly concentrated Beerenauslese wines. The grapes were harvested selectively by hand, with only the fully ripe berries affected by noble rot making it into the press. The wine was gently fermented and matured in traditional oak barrels to preserve its complexity and longevity.

Tasting notes: An opulent rarity

The tasting notes for the Assmannshäuser Höllenberg Spätburgunder Weissherbst Beerenauslese 2005 paint a picture of a wine of exceptional opulence and depth. A tasting note from 2006 – the only one publicly available – describes the wine as “creamy, lush, special” and awards it 91 points. The wine displays a luminous, rosé-coloured robe with golden highlights. The nose unfolds a complex bouquet of candied red berries, sour cherries, dried figs and a hint of honey, underpinned by the smoky, schist-driven minerality typical of the Höllenberg . On the palate , the wine is opulent and lush, with a balanced interplay of sweetness and acidity that lends it depth and length. The Beerenauslese quality gives the wine remarkable concentration and enormous ageing potential, allowing it to mature in the cellar for many years.

A window into a bygone era

For collectors and connoisseurs, the Assmannshäuser Höllenberg Spätburgunder Weissherbst Beerenauslese 2005is a wine of great rarity – a testament to a bygone era of German viticulture, from one of Germany’s most famous red wine vineyards, produced in a vintage that ranks among the decade’s outstanding sweet wine vintages. Anyone who opens such a bottle holds not only a rare Weissherbst in their hands, but a piece of German viticultural history – and a wine that bears the hallmark of a monastic tradition stretching back over 900 years.